With Time And Love
by leviosaspell193
Summary: For the Canon-Quote Competition. Harry and Ginny discuss Fred's death and moving on.


The Battle had ended, the clear up began. Harry was sitting in Dumbledore's office – 'McGonagall's' he reminded himself. He was quite alone, for what seemed like the first time since he left Privet Drive nearly ten months ago. And suddenly, the idea of being alone scared him. He had been fighting for the freedom of his friends and surrogate family – the Weasleys. He shouldn't be alone, he should be with them. His thoughts turned to Ginny. His lovely, beautiful Ginny. He wondered if she would ever forgive him for breaking up with her and got the overwhelming feeling that he desperately had to be near her. He stood up on his aching feet, noticing at once that it was not just his feet that ached, his entire body was in pain. He trudged over to the window and stared out at the lake, and the tree next to it which he had spent so many beautiful afternoons with Ginny. And he saw her. He saw her bright orange hair, which in the light of the sunset, resembled a fire atop of her head. Suddenly his body didn't ache any more, it was just his heart that ached. With speed he didn't know he could muster at this time Harry left the office of his former mentor and almost ran down to the lake. As he approached he slowed to a walk, Ginny seemed to have heard him walking towards her and she turned around.

A small smile crept across her face, though Harry could tell that she was not at all happy. He walked over and sat beside her, stretching his arm over her shoulder and pulling her in to him.

'I'm sorry I ever left you Ginny.' He whispered.

'I understand. You know I do.' And deep down, he did. He always knew that she would understand. And for the first time in many hours, possible days, Harry let himself smile. Looking out on to the lake he could see the signs of rain clouds approaching. He looked down at Ginny, to admire her beauty in the sunset and noticed that she was again, crying.

'I've never seen you cry before.' Harry said pulling her in closer, Ginny nodded.

'I just... Fred is gone.' And with that, Ginny broke down, for the first time in her own memory, she let herself cry, really cry.

A few minutes passed with Harry rubbing Ginny's back, finally her sobbing seemed to come to an end just as the rain set in.

'I just had so much hope for him, you know? Him and George were doing so well with the joke shop... And him and Angelina finally got together, I was just looking forward to another wedding, and maybe some nieces and nephews who would grow up to cause even more chaos than Fred and George did. And they were supposed to grow old together, Fred and Angelina, George and whoever. We saw what they'd be like remember? When they crossed the Age Line to put themselves in for the Triwizard Tournament? And they were supposed to be like Uncle Bilius, you know, crazy old people who were the life of the party.' Ginny's hopes and dreams for the late Fred Weasley came to an end, and for a moment, while the rain fell around them, they sat in silence.

Finally, Harry spoke.

'Someone once told me, it does not do well to dwell on dreams and forget to live.' Ginny looked up at Harry and looked deep into his eyes. Suddenly, she realised he too, had lost people in his life, many more than she had.

'Does is get any easier?' Harry understood what she meant.

'With time. Time helps. And love. That helps too.'

'You're scared, I know you are, you're scared of the future. But you have to understand, Fred died so that we could have a future. You're scared, and upset, understandably, but you're free.' Harry tried his hardest to cheer her up, noticing that if he was told these words when Sirius had died, he probably would have ignored them. But Ginny was a much better person than he was.

'From all the things that we are but are not saying, can we see beyond the scars and make it to the dawn?'

'Yes,' Harry breathed. 'Dawn will come, and because of people who gave their lives, like Fred, we will be there to greet it.'

She leaned into him and he held her while fresh tears fell. While Harry sat there, he noted that his heart, which once had its beats limited, was full, as full can be, with love for Ginny. For her family. For everyone who helped in the war. And while shadows fill an empty heart as love is fading, love will fill an empty heart when shadows of the past fade. And fade they do. With time. And love.


End file.
